Coin stacking and handling device



Aug. 9, 1966 D. KIRKPATRICK COIN STACKING AND HANDLING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 3, 1965 INVENTOR. Dona/d /(/r/ ,0a fr/cK a iu. 5' 77.241

D. KIRKPATRICK COIN STACKING AND HANDLING DEVICE Aug. 9 1966 Filed June 3. 1965 E1t:[ 4

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IINVENTOR. Dona/d Mr/(pafr/CK BY C261,. 5 77M;

United v States Patent Office Patented 3,265,077 August 9, 1966 3,265,077 I COIN STACKING AND HANDLING DEVICE Donald Kirkpatrick, 39 Alden Ave., Pittsfield, Mass.

' Filed June 3, 1965, Ser.-N0. 461,014

7 Claims. (Cl. 133-8) This invention relates to coin stacking and handling devices usedfor assembling coins to count and/ or package various denominations of coins and has for a particular object the adaptability of such a device for use with cash register change trays.

An object of the present invention is to facilitate the handling of supplies of coins particularly in association with a standard type of cash register change tray, to count the same for tallying purposes only, with the immediate return of coins to the tray of the cash register, or for counting, stacking and wrapping purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coin assembling device having mating sections which are easily separable and serve, when assembled, to receive the coins in stacked fashion and, when separated, to facilitate counting and packaging or return of the coins to the container from which they were taken.

These and other additional objects and advantages of the invention will be seen from the following description of an embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the new .device as associated with a cash register drawer and illustrating the use of the device therewith;

' FIG. 2 a fragmentary side view of the device hung in position at the edge of a cash register drawer to receive coins from the register tray;

'FIG. 3 is a view of the outer or upper half of the split casing of the device-as on line 33 of FIG. '1;

FIG. 4 is a view of the inner or lower half Olf the split casing as on line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a pictorial view showing the position of the lower half ofthe casing when raised to return coins to a cash register drawer after counting the same;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a modified construction of the device; 7 FIG. 7 is a firagmentary enlarged sectional view to show details of construction; and

FIG. 8 is a side view on a greatly reduced scale of the device held in inclined upright position on a work sur t ace.

As illustrated by the drawings a particular feature of this invention lies in the provision for a slidably assembled split casing. The split halves of the casing together form separate funnels or chutes to pour coins into separate stacking columns which may be individualized for different coin denominations. One half of the casing carries bafiie means in the'funnel sections for directing the coins in orderly fashion into each underlying stacking column. The otherhalf of the casing serves to provide a sight count of the coins 'by having suitable calibrations at each columnand this other half is formed with its funnel portion acting as a spillway for conveniently pouring back the contents of the separate columns into a tray. The tray shown in the drawings is a standard cash register tray. The device may be advantageously used with other cash or change trays as will be apparent. Referring to FIG. 1 a cash register is indicated at 2 with an open drawer at 4. The drawer is provided with a removable change tray 6 at its outer end. The tray 6 is conventionally a removable unit and has five compartments formed by the separators as at 8 for holding coins from pennies to [fifty cent pieces.

The coin assembling device, indicated as a unit by the numeral 10, is provided with a pair of hooks 12 at each upper rear corner. The hooks 12 are adapted to hang over the end [flanges at 14 (see FIG. 2) of an end wall 16 of the register drawer. plurality of coin receiving sections as indicated by the dividing walls at 9. These sections are open at the top, the several sections of the unit being arranged to register in corresponding positional relation to the five compartments of tray 6.

When the device .10 is hung as described on the end of the drawer 4, the tray -6 may then be manually lifted and tilted as indicated in FIG. 2. The contents of each compartment will thus pour into the corresponding coin receiving openings of unit 10. In unit 10 as will be more particularly described, coins of each of the tray compartments will be individually stacked for counting or tallying purposes. They may, if a count only is desired, be immediately poured back into the compartments of the tray 6. The action of a reverse pour bac of coins is illustrated by FIG. 5.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the device 10 comprises a pair of split casing members, a rear casing 20 and a front casing 22. In the embodiment shown these members are releasably joined by the slidable interengagement of inclined parallel rail pieces shown affixed to the side wall of each section. An upper pair of rails shown at 24 is fixed at each side of the outer section 22 and a lower pair of rails 26 is fixed to each side wall of the rear casing 20. Rails 24 are adapted to overlie rails 26 and as will be best seen from FIG. 2, front casing 22' may thus be mounted on and separated from the rear casing 20. The removal of front casing 22 is indicated by dot-dash lines in FIG. 2 and this is accomplished by a simple upward and outward lifting movement. The initial motion of re.- moval is conveniently assisted by thumb and index linger pressure on offset knobs 28 at each end of the unit.

It will be appreciated that fitting the two casing halves together on return movement to an assembled relation is assisted by the inclined relation of rail pieces 24, 26 so that the casing halves will more or less automatically find their way to a properly registered assembly condition. Referring now to FIG. 3, the inner face of the front split casing half 22 is shown with a series of upper funnel or chute portions 30. and lower columnar tube portions 32. In FIG. 3, the columnar tube portions are arranged from left to right as for pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and fifty-cent pieces, respectively. This order may, of course, be varied as desired. It will also be noted that each funnel or chute portion 30 above the tubular portionsis not uniform. Such sections are individualized for proper flow of the particular coin denominations. The funnel or chute portions 30 are furthermore, each divided into two sections. A lower section is shown with inclined sidewalls converging toward the upper end of the respective tubular portions 32. An upper section is shown with the walls thereof generally parallel. In each upper section are located baflle elements as the deflector pieces at 34. The deflector pieces are arranged so as to direct the several coin sizes into the portions without jamming in the throat or elsewhere in the chute portions.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the inner face of the rear section 20 is shown with chute portions 40 and tube por tions 42. These portions mate with the portions 30 and 32 of the front case 22. Arranged in adjacent columnar fashion at the side of each of the tube portions 42 are calibrated indicia marks indicated at 44 for a rapid, visual count of a stack of coins nesting in the tube portions 42. As shown by FIG. 4, the chute portions 40 have portions matching the portions 30 of the casing 22 in the lower converging wall sections thereof. The upper sections with parallel walls as indicated at 46 are, however, clear of The unit 10 as shown has a any bafile elements so that an unobstructed flow of coins from the tube portions may take place in the manner previously mentioned and as indicated by the showing of FIG. 5. This enables the pour back of all coins into the respective compartments of a change tray after a tally has been made. It will be realized that in removing the front casing 22 from the rear casing 24 as in FIG. 2 and thus obtaining a visual count of coins in the stacking tubes, the rear section should preferably be tilted slightly in order to prevent coins from falling away from the portions 42. This would be whenever the device remains attached to the cash register drawer as in FIG. 2. The device may also be used apart from the described operation with a cash register drawer and in this event a pivotally mounted leg arrangement at the rear of the casing 20 may be hinged for support on a table surface as indicated in FIG. 8, the hinged leg being shown at 48 and the unit at 10 supported in an inclined position for removal of the split front casing.

The device may, of course, be used for stacking coins in order to wrap the same in conventional wrapper rolls. For this purpose the bottom of each tube portion may be provided with a platform piece 50 indicated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7. As shown, particularly in FIG. 7, the front edge of a stack of coins 52 will thus overhang the indented front edge at 54 of the platform 56. This provision for overlapping the edge of the stack of coins permits a user to insert a finger underneath the edge of the stack and more easily manipulate a' pile of coins for insertion in a suitable holder.

It will be apparent that various modifications of the structure as described may be utilized and that the parts may be made of various materials as preferred. As an illustrative example, the split casing halves may be formed of integrally molded plastic material and if desired for a quick tally of cash register change tray contents the front section may be of clear transparent material. In this latter event it would not be necessary to remove the front section for counting the value of the stacks. Once the total values have been noted the the unit may then be tipped to pour the contents back into the several change compartments.

An additional variation is illustrated by FIG. 6 wherein the split casing halves indicated at 60 and 62 are formed by outer shell or frame pieces 64 and 66, respectively, with oppositely positioned removable inserts as at 68 and 70. The inserts are removably fastened in the frames 64 and 66 being held in place in any suitable manner as by the fastening screws indicated at 72 (FIGS. 6 and 7). In a construction of this type the juxtaposition of the various coin denominations may be varied as desired to suit a users preference for the sequential arrangement of change compartments in the tray.

It will also be apparent from the foregoing description of the device as shown in the drawings that the numbers of compartments and the dimensions of the upper coin receiving openings may be varied to suit individual re.

quirements apart from use of the device with a change tray. The coins may be dropped into the openings by hand and a single column device may be advantageously employed where large amounts of coins of a single denomination are regularly handled for tally or assembling and wrapping purposes.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as novel and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A coin stacking and handling device comprising a bers having calibrations adjacent the columnar portion thereof indicating the value of a stack of coins resting therein, the top chute portion thereof being defined by 1 side wall portions, the other casing member having mating tube and chute portions, the said latter chute portion having fixed therein coin deflector means inclined in the direction of the tube portion, and interengaging means on said casing members for registering the mating chute and columnar portions thereof, said device being opened to expose the coins stacked therein only by completely separating the casing members.

2. A coin stacking and handling device comprising a pair of separable split casing halves forming in assembled condition a plurality of adjacent open coin receiving chutes at the top thereof with columnar coin stack-ing tubes below said chutes, the split casing at the rear of the device having calibrations adjacent the columnar portions thereof indicating the values of stacks of coins resting therein, the top chute portions thereof being defined by diverging side wall portions, the split casing at the front having mating tube portions and chute portions, said latter chute portions having coin deflector elements fixed therein and inclined in the direction of the said tube portions and slidably interengageable means on said split casing halves for registering the chute and columnar portions thereof when in assembled relation, said device being opened to expose the coins stacked therein only by completely separating the casing members.

3. A device as in claim 2 wherein the split casing at the front is provided with transparent portions for viewing the coins stacked in the tubes and the adjacent calibrations thereof.

4. A device as in claim 2 wherein the tubular portion on the rear split casing is provided with a platform having an indentation on the outer section for finger tip access.

5. A device as in claim 2 wherein the chute portions of each of the split halves are formed with parallel side walls in the upper portion thereof and inwardly converging side walls extending to the upper ends of the columnar tube portions and the said deflector elements of the front chute portions are arranged above said converging side Walls.

6. A device as inrclairn 2 wherein each of the split casing halves comprises an outer frame member and each chute and columnar tube portion is provided by an insert unit removably fastened Within said frame whereby the juxtaposition of tubes for different coin denominations may be varied.

7. In combination a cash register coin holding tray having a series of juxtaposed compartments divided by separators and a coin stacking and handling device having a pair of separable casing members formed in mated relation, a series of juxtaposed open topped coin, receiving chutes arranged to register with the compartments of said tray, said pair of easing members having columnar tubular portions below said chutes, one of said casing members having calibrations adjacent the columnar portion thereof indicating the value of a stack of coins resting therein, the top chute portion thereof being defined by said wall portions, the other casing member having mating tube and chute portions, the said latter chute portions having fixed therein coin deflector means inclined in the direction of the tube portions, and interengaging means on said casing members for registering the mating chute and columnar portions of the device.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,751,615 3/1930 Bower 53254 2,836,019 5/1958 Oltarezewski 53254 3,085,378 4/1963 Howard 133-8 X FOREIGN PATENTS 869,133 10/1941 France.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Examiner. 

1. A COIN STACKING AND HANDLING DEVICE COMPRISING A PAIR OF SEPARABLE CASING MEMBERS FORMING IN MATED RELATION AN OPEN COIN RECEIVING CHUTE AT THE TOP WITH A COLUMNAR TUBE BELOW THE CHUTE, ONE OF SAID CASING MEMBERS HAVING CALIBRATIONS ADJACENT THE COLUMNAR PORTION THEREOF INDICATING THE VALUE OF A STACK OF COINS RESTING THEREIN, THE TOP CHUTE PORTION THEREOF BEING DEFINED BY SIDE WALL PORTIONS, THE OTHER CASING MEMBER HAVING MATING TUBE AND CHUTE PORTIONS, THE SAID LATTER CHUTE PORTION HAVING FIXED THEREIN COIN DEFLECTOR MEANS INCLINED IN THE DIRECTION OF THE TUBE PORTION, AND INTERENGAGING MEANS ON SAID CASING MEMBERS FOR REGISTERING THE MATING CHUTE AND COLUMNAR PORTIONS THEREOF, SAID DEVICE BEING OPENED 